The goal of today's meditation is to address these feelings of neglect and to quiet our minds long enough to listen a little bit deeper to that inner voice beyond our fears.
That faint inner voice deep inside of us whose only job is to protect us.
So lie down or find a comfortable seat.
Your feet are flat on the ground or crossed.
Your spine is tall.
Place your right hand over your belly and place your left palm on your chest.
Breathe in slowly to the belly,
Feeling it rise and then allow the breath to work up to the chest,
Feeling the chest rise.
On the exhale,
Allow the chest to fall and then the belly to fall.
And continue to breathe like that at your own pace,
Allowing the air to first fill the belly and then the chest and then release from the chest and then the belly.
Stay with this breath until it begins to feel natural.
Through our breath,
We can slow the mind,
We can quiet the mind chatter and instead focus on our deeper self,
The mind-body connection,
The subtle messages that we so often ignore in day-to-day life.
Breathing deeply and slowly,
Begin to picture yourself as a young child.
Imagine a place that always felt safe for you.
It could be in your room,
In a public place like a library or a theater.
It could be at a friend's house or in a secret hiding place that only you knew about.
Imagine your younger self in this place and continue to breathe,
Feeling the belly rise,
The chest rise,
The chest fall,
The belly fall.
And focus on your breath.
Begin to imagine that this younger self is breathing as you are.
This younger self places a palm over the belly button and a palm over the chest.
This younger self breathes deeply in this safe place.
You are there together,
Completely safe,
Completely cared for.
Breathing deeply,
Go within and ask yourself,
What is it that I need in order to feel cared for today?
Do not force an answer,
Do not worry if an answer does not come immediately.
Simply sit with the space between each breath and allow it to fill as it may.
What is it that you need in order to feel cared for,
In order to feel safe?
Breathing in deeply and breathing out deeply,
Feel the expansion and the release in your body.
Feel all of the peace that exists deep inside of you.
You and this younger self are one.
You keep each other safe and this place that you have determined was a safe haven,
This place is something that you have created.
It is always here for you.
Breathe in,
Feel the magnitude of your being.
Breathe out and release any fear.
Breathe in and know that you are taken care of.
Breathe out and release any expectation.
Breathe in,
Feeling the wave of energy.
Breathe out,
Feel the wave of connectivity.
Breathe in and know that you have everything you need to feel safe,
To feel cared for.
It's all inside of you.
Accept where you are and keep this safe place in mind.
As you feel the temperature of the room,
As you hear any subtle sounds,
As your tongue traces the roof of your mouth,
Know that this safe place is always inside of you.
Know that what you need to feel cared for is on its way.
Know that all you ever needed was inside of you.
As you blink your eyes open,
Look around,
Taking in the corners of the room,
The colors of the wall.
Notice if there's a window,
A bed,
A table.
Look around you and see a safe place.
Feel the warmth provided you and know that you are cared for.
You are safe.
As you continue your day,
Remain open to the idea that everything you see can become a safe place,
Can remind you that you are eternally cared for.
I wish you all of the love in my heart.
You are cared for.
You are safe.
